Relámpago del Cielo prepares for Jan. 12 concert

Folklorico: Relámpago del Cielo will present its annual company concert on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Margaret A. Webb Theatre in Santa Ana.

The show will include 30 dancers, musicians and artists bringing to stage the diverse culture of Mexico through dance, said Artistic Director Marlene Peña-Marin, bringing to life the styles of Hidalgo, Guerrero, Puebla, Chihuahua and the dance and song of Jalisco.

"Through careful research Relámpago preserves the beauty and intentions of danzas and bailes mestizos that showcase the regions of Mexico in a truly inspiring celebration," she said. "Accompanying the group will be Los Hermanos Herrera with their truly awe inspiring music of the Norteño and Huasteco regions. Also guest artist Francisco Andrade will light up the stage with his Floreo de Reata."

The folklorico group is celebrating 38 years of teaching Mexican dance in Orange County.

The show, with dancers, musicians and other performers, begins at 8 p.m. at the theater, 801 N. Main St., Santa Ana.

Admission is $25 a person. To purchase tickets, call 714-881-4732 or see rdcgf.org.

Family trees: Don Garcia, a retired engineer, will explain how to research family history online at the Jan. 12 meeting of the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research.

Garcia is a SHHAR board member who volunteers weekly at the Orange Family History Center. His presentation will introduce the Family Tree program, show the variety of records that have been digitized and available for downloading, and share his own genealogical research.

The free presentation will be held at the Orange Family History Center, 674 S. Yorba St., Orange.

Research assistance will be available from 9 -10 a.m., and Garcia will speak from 10 -11:30 a.m.

For information, contact Mimi Lozano at 714-894-8161.

Language immersion: The Saddleback Valley Unified School District will hold an informational meeting for parents interested in learning about the district's two-way immersion program.

The K -12 program is an option for parents who wish to have their child become bilingual and bi-literate in English and Spanish.

The program is open to Spanish-speaking as well as English-speaking students. For more, call resource teacher Karin Fortt at 949-580-3310.

New judges: Two members of the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association have been appointed to Orange County Superior Court judgeships by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Elizabeth G. Macias was appointed Dec. 27, and and Nathan R. Scott on Nov. 21.

Macias, 41, of Orange, had served as deputy federal public defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California since 1999. She serves on the Latina Lawyers Bar Association board. She earned a law degree from California Western School of Law and a bachelor's from Cal State Fullerton. She filled the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David C. Velasquez.

Scott, 39, of Long Beach, had served as senior appellate court attorney at the 4th District Court of Appeal since 2005. He was an associate at two firms before that. Scott earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Latino Law Review, received a bachelor's degree from UCLA. He filled the slot held by Judge Michael J.Naughton, who retired.